Manual and chord button bank portablenecked body for an electric organ



ii nited States Patent John C. Radke Seattle, Washington (10228 Main St., Bothell, WA 98011) July 24, 1968 Nov. 24, 1970 lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented MANUAL AND CHORD BUTTON BANK PORTABLE-NECKED BODY FOR AN ELECTRIC ORGAN 10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

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[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,962,922 12/1960 Cutler et a1 84/1.01 3,001,434 9/1961 Lo Duca 84/1.17X 3,335,629 8/1967 Brodin 84/1 3,359,358 12/1967 Brand et a1. 84/1.0l

Primary Examiner-Warren E. Ray Attorney-Robert W. Beach ABSTRACT: A guitarlike mounting includes a body carrying a manual and a neck projecting from the body and carrying a chord button bank. The manual and the chord button bank include switches closable by depressing keys of the manual and buttons of the bank which are connected to relays for energizing tone generators corresponding to the various keys of the manual and buttons of the bank.

Patented Nov. 24, 1910 3,541,912

Sheet 1 of 3 INVENTOR. JOHN C. RAD/(E BY 2 Ae M! 47 TOR/YE Y Patented Nov. 24, 1970 Sheet Q w m m w 0 w A T TORNE Y Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,541,912

Sheet 3 of3 H01 JJK/A/OJ 3 79V) D FFGGA BCC' BCC & saoi vaauaa a/vm N INVENTOR.

JOHN C. RAD/{E ATTORNEY 1 MANUAL AND CHORD BUTTON BANK PORTABLE- NECKED BODY FOR AN ELECTRIC ORGAN A principal object of the present invention is to provide a portable mounting for an electric organ manual and key or chord buttons which can be carried easily and conveniently by a person while standing, or which can be held by a person while seated, instead of being carried directly by an organ console. A more specific object is to provide such a portable mounting which is ofguitarlike shape having a manual carried by the body of the mounting and key or chord buttons carried by the neck o'fthe mounting.

Another object is to provide a key and chord button bank including two rows of buttons in staggered relationship, the buttons of one row corresponding to a single note, and the buttons of the other row corresponding to two-note chords with one note of the chord for each button corresponding to the note of an adjacent, single-note button.

An additional object is to provide a manual and a key bank on a portable mounting having switches which are interconnected so that circuits for selected notes can be completed either by pressing a key button or by pressing a key of the manual so that corresponding button and manual key combinations can be connected from the portable mounting to the relay assembly by a single wire.

FIG. 1 is a top perspective ofthe guitarlike mounting, and FIG. 2 is a plan of such mounting. FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the mounting seen from one side, and FIG. 4 is a side elevationof the mounting seenfrom the opposite side. FIG. Sis an end elevation of the mounting.

FIG. 6 is a wiringdiagram for the manual and the button bank in the mounting, and

FIG. 7 is a wiring diagram of the control relays for the tone generators.

FIG. 8 is a detail wiring and diagram for one relay installation,

' music for dancing. In all of these situations it would be much more satisfactory for the organist to be able to face the audience, or an orchestral conductor, or other instruments or an orchestra, or'a soloist, a chorus, a choir or a dance ensemble.

In order to enable an organist to face the audience or other performers a guitarlike mounting for the organ controls is pro- 1 FIG. 9 is a detail wiring diagram for another type of relayin- 4 responding cable wire 42 to a wire 42' of the relay assembly vided which includes the body 1 from which the neck 2 pro-- forearm of the organist can rest while the organist is fingering the keys 4 and 5.

On'theneck 2 of the mounting two rows of key buttons 7 and 8 are provided. As shown best in FIG. 2, the buttons of the two rows preferably are arranged in staggered relationship. Such buttons preferably are arranged so that each button 7 will actuate a different single note, and each of the buttons 8 .will actuate a two-note c'hord. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, there is a relationship between the single notes of the key buttons 7 and the chords of the chord buttons 8, as well as between the notes of the single buttons 7 and the keys 4 and 5 of the manual 3.

From an electrical point of view the single common wire 9 is connected to one side of all the switches for the keyboard keys and all of the buttons mounted on the neck 2. A cable connector 10 for the relay assembly is connected to the cable connector 10 for the manual and key button mounting by a multiple wire bundle cable 10''. The connectors 10 and 10' can be connected permanently to the cable 10", or such connectors can be of the separable pin and socket type if desired.

Each of the white note keys 4 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 when depressed will close its corresponding switch 41 shown in FIG. 6 to complete a circuit from the common wire through its corshown in FIG. 7. As shown best in FIG. 8 each wire 42' is connected to a relay unit 43. The tone generators 11 are also connected through a wire 12 and the branch wires 44 to each of the relay units, respectively. In addition, the power source 13 is connected by a wire 14 and branch wires 45 to each of the relay units 43. Also each of the relay units includes an output circuit 46 connected to the tone generators 11.

The relay coil 47 of each relay unit 43 is connected to a keyactuated switch wire 42' and'a power wire 45 as shown in FIG. 8. Energization of the relay coil by closing of the corresponding key switch 41 will move armature 48 into switch-closing engagement with switch contacts 49 to complete a circuit from the lead 44 of tone generator wire 12 to the two wires 46 which will energize tone generators to produce the same note at two different pitches spaced apart one octave.

Similarly, depression of a black note key 5 will close corresponding switch 51 to connect one of the wires 52 shown in FIG. 6to the common wire 9. Such wire will be connected through the cable 10 to the corresponding wire 52' of the relay assembly shown in FIG. 7. The relays 53 are similar to the relays 43 shown in detail in FIG. 8 and have connected to them not only a switch wire 52 but also a wire 54 connected to the common wire 12 from the tone generators 11 and a branch wire 55 connected to the common power supply wire 14. Each of the relay units 53 has two output circuit wires 56 connected to the tone generators 11. The relay structure of the relays 53 is like that for the relays 43 shown in FIG. 8.

.6. According to the labels on the switches of FIG. 6 the key buttons 7 correspond to notes spaced apart five half tones. If

thepitch of the notes is disregarded, in some instances one 8, actuation of which will produce a two-note chord, one note of .which isthesame as such adjacent key 7. The other adjacent chord key 8 will actuate the other two notes of a tonic chord including such adjacent key 7. To illustrate, the key button 7 for the note G is, as shown in FIG. 6, adjacent to the key button 8 which will produce the two-note chord G and 13. Also the key button 7 for the note G is adjacent to the key button 8 for the two-note chord C and E, so that the three notes C, E and G will produce the tonic chord for the scale of C. In order to maintain this relationship the notes of the chords controlled by each key button 8 are spaced apart two whole tones.

The switches 81 of the respective key buttons 8 will connect the common wire 9 to the respective switch wires 82 shown in FIG. 6, which are connected through the wire bundle cable 10" to the respective wires 82 shown in FIG. 7. Each of these wires is connected to a separate relay 83, one of which is illustrated in detail in FIG. 9. Also connected to such relay is a branch wire 84 connected to the common wire 15 of the tone generators 11. Each relay 83 is further connected to the common power wire l4b y a branch wire 85. Four output circuit wires 86 lead from each relay 83 to the tone generators ll.

Two of these wires will correspond to one of the notes of the particular chord at different pitches one octave apart, and the other two wires will'correspond to the other note of the chord having two different pitches spaced apart an octave.

As shown in FIG. 9 a switch wire 82 and a power branch ticular chord is depressed. Upon such energization'of the relay coil the armature 88 will be swung into contact with the terminals 89 of the corresponding tone generator connections 86 so as to complete a circuit from each of these wires to the common tone generator wire 15 through the branch wire 84.

The tone'generators 11 will be those conventionally used for electric organs, and they will be connected to suitable amplifiers which in turn will be connected to a loudspeaker or loudspeakers in the customary manner. Also stops may be provided on the organ console to produce the usual variation of instrumental effects, or some or all of such stops could be mounted on the manual and key button mounting if desired. Moreover, the power source 13 can be the power source for the organ.

It will be seen from FIG. 6 that when the chord of any selected chord button 8 is considered to be the tonic chord,

the chord button 8 at one side of such selected button will vcontrol the dominant chord, and the chord button 8 at the other side of such selected button will control the subdominant chord. Also, as has been mentioned, in each instance a key button 7 adjacent to each chord button 8 will supply the third note or upper noteof a major chord. Consequently, the speed and versatility of playing is enhanced by the arrangement of chord and single-note buttons 8 and 7 provided on the neck 2.It will be evident that manipulation of these buttons by the left hand can be coordinated with fingering of the standard carrying a manual, a neck projecting from said body and carryinga key button bank, control means carried by said mounting and actuated by the keys of said manual and by the key buttons of said bank, and means operatively connecting said control means and the'electric organ actuating means.

' 2. The mounting defined in claim 1, in which the manual extends somewhat diagonally of the body to provide a ledgein front of the manual forming an arm rest.

3. The mounting defined in claim 1, in which the control means includes switch means actuated by the keys of the manual and by the key buttons of the bank.

4. The mounting defined in claim 3, in which the switch means includes switches corresponding to some of the key buttons of the key button bank which are connected in parallel with some switches of the switch means corresponding to .selected keys of the manual.

5. The mounting defined in claim 1, in which the key button bank includes keys arranged in two substantially parallel rows extending lengthwise of the length of the neck, the buttons inone row being arranged in staggered relationship relative to the buttons of the other row.

6. The mounting defined in claim 1, in which the control means includes switches connected for operationby key buttons arranged in a row to energize the electric organ actuating means for playing one-note by depression of one key button in such row.

7. The mounting defined in claim 1, in which the control means includes switches connected for operation by key buttons for energizing the electric organ actuating means for playing a chord by depression of one key button.

8. The mounting defined in claim 7, in which key buttons of the-key button bank for playing chords are arranged in a row.

9. The mounting defined in claim 8, in which the key button bank includes buttons in a second row adjacent to the row of chord buttons which second row, buttons are operatively connected to the electric'organ actuating means so that depression of a key in the second row will play a note in harmony 

